Brewers take Hawaiian high-school pitcher Kodi Medeiros 12th overall

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, right, poses with pitcher Kodi Medeiros from Waiakea High School in Hilo, Hawaii. He was selected by the Brewers with the 12th overall selection in the MLB draft Thursday. Credit: Associated Press

"My catcher overheard that from a scout as well as a batter," said Medeiros, who struck out two and induced two groundouts in facing four batters at that workout, in a conference call with reporters. "He told me that and I was just kind of in shock that I hit that type of velocity. That was my first time."

He throws from a low arm slot, which aids the movement on his pitches, and his propensity for inducing ground-ball outs would figure to be a great match for Miller Park. Some project him as a future reliever, but it's expected the Brewers will give him every chance to be a starter initially.

"Some scouts say they like my style, they think I’m a starter, and some people think I’m better off as a reliever," Medeiros said. "I like the slot I throw from. I’ve got good deception on the slot and my velo is still up there even when I throw from that slot. So that’s why I do it. I’m comfortable throwing from that slot."

Medeiros went 7-1 with a 0.97 ERA with 83 strikeouts against 14 walks in eight games (43 1/3 innings) this past season in high school.

He said he wasn't necessarily expecting to be drafted by the Brewers.

“Actually, no," he said. "It was just a mixture of teams, from the Brewers to Diamondbacks, Royals, Indians and Red Sox, but I never had a ‘for sure’ feeling from any team. So it actually really surprised me. I think my performance at that workout really made an impact on me getting selected at 12.”

Medeiros, who also worked out for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals, becomes the first Hawaiian high-schooler to be drafted in the first two rounds since 2001 and the highest-drafted native Hawaiian ever.

"It means a lot to Hawaii, to my family, to my friends that help me out as well as my advisor," he said. "All the time and effort they put into me, I took that and I just wanted to make everyone proud. I just want Hawaii to be on the map, and I want scouts to know that Hawaii has talent."